Page 102 of The Broker

The goodbyes were quick, and we hurried down the front porch, and I didn’t feel like I could relax until I was in the passenger seat of Noah’s car, safely closed inside. It wasn’t the same for him, though. Tension gripped his shoulders tightly as he started the engine.

“Are you okay?” I asked softly.

“Yeah.” His answer came so quickly, it was a knee-jerk response, and he sighed. “It was fucking rough seeing my dad like that, all incapacitated. And you know what’s even worse? He waspissedI was there. He didn’t know my mom had called and asked for help.” His tone was bitter. “He was adamant he would have been able to get up on his own eventually, that he only ‘needed another minute.’ Never mind he’d been lying on the shower floor for twenty minutes already.”

It wasn’t my place, but I said it anyway because Gabe had been utterly silent when we’d left. “Did he thank you for your help?”

“Nope, he sure didn’t.” He set his hands on the steering wheel but didn’t put the car in gear. Maybe he needed another moment to collect his thoughts.

“I’m sure it’s hard,” I said, “for you and them. You should all give each other some grace.”

He turned to look at me, and I half expected him to tell me to be quiet or that I didn’t know what I was talking about, but there was only surprise in his eyes. He wore the same expression he’d had in the kitchen when I’d asked for his help with the dishes.

“They were kind of prickly to you.”

I pulled my mouth into a lopsided smile. “They were fine, and I’m giving them some grace too.”

He finally put the car in reverse and began to back down the driveway. “Careful. That doesn’t really sound like something a spoiled brat would say.”

I shrugged and matched his playful tone. “Maybe I’m starting to outgrow that.” I swallowed a breath. “I noticed you didn’t correct your mom when she called me your girlfriend.” I said it as a joke, even though I was completely serious. “I thought we were just friends.”

He finished backing into the street, and as he put the car into drive, he glanced over to me. His, and his expression made my heart stumble and beat faster.

“Maybe,” he said, “we’ve outgrown that too.”

TWENTY-SEVEN

Noah

It didn’t make any sense that I’d been sort of excited to introduce Charlotte to my parents, and the only thing that had given me pause was I knew how messy their house was going to be.

Not that it was a bad fucking idea to bring her along.

But it was too late now.

It was done, and honestly, I wasn’t unhappy about how it had gone. Sure, my dad hearing her say she wanted to sit on my face wasless than ideal, but at least the cat was out of the bag with my folks. They knew I was dating someone, and that someone was quite a bit younger than I was.

I was glad Charlotte and I had decided to put a label on it.

My girlfriend seemed happy about that too. She was practically radiating in the passenger seat of my car as I pulled into my garage. We didn’t talk as we got out and made our way to the door to the house. I pushed it open for her, slapped a hand on the button to close the overhead door, and followed her inside.

I didn’t bother turning on the lights. We stood in the small, dark hallway that led to my kitchen, toeing off our shoes, and as soon as that was done, I was on her. My mouth slammed intohers, and my hands seized her waist, and when she sighed into me, warm satisfaction spread through my chest.

It felt good having her here, in my place, in my hands.

But our evening had gone off the rails, and I’d promised to make it up to her, and I was going to make good on that right fucking now.

She let out a cute little yelp of surprise when I bent and swept her up into my arms. Her eyes were wide, and wild, lit with excitement as I marched toward my bedroom. I had no idea what expression I wore.

Maybe it was determination, because that was how I felt.

Once we made it through the doorway, I found the light switch and clicked it on. It hadn’t been easy to do with her in my arms, but I managed, making the small table lamps on either side of the bed spring to life.

As I strode forward, she gazed up at me like I was all she could see.

When I reached the bed, I deposited her on top of it. I’d made it this morning, smoothing the gray satin comforter into place, hoping we were going to end up here. As soon as she hit the mattress, she began moving. She climbed up onto her knees and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, planting a kiss on my lips.

Charlotte had probably meant it to be a long, deep one, but I had other ideas.

---